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Contact Lenses: Dry Eyes

Topic Overview

Not having enough
tears (dry eye) is caused by a lack of one or more of
the substances that make up tears.

Dry eyes are common in those
who wear contact lenses. Eye
diseases, other diseases, and certain
medicines can also cause dry eyes.

Symptoms of dry
eyes include:

Feeling like there is something in the
eye.

Tearing or burning (or both).

Dryness in the eye
(a hot, sandy feeling).

Redness.

Symptoms may get worse at the end of the day and in drafty,
dry, smoky, or dusty environments.

Dry eye may also cause a type
of keratitis (inflammation of the cornea). Changes in the type of
contact lens and the way the lens sits on the eye may help correct this
problem.

Dry eye symptoms can be especially bad in
people who wear soft contact lenses. Soft lenses absorb water from the eye
surface and make the eye dry. Dryness may lead to patchy loss of cells in the
cornea. Trying a different type of lens may help the problem.

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